Suspected Insurgent Helps Police

Suspected insurgent helps police

BANGKOK: -- A Muslim man, previously suspected of being involved with insurgents responsible for a raid on an army camp last January and a theft of weapons, has agreed to work with the local authorities in Thailand's deep South, Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula said on Friday.

Masakree Dorloh, who had a 500,000-baht bounty on his head, met the interior minister for about a half hour yesterday.

The public prosecutors have already dropped all charges against the suspect, Mr. Bhokin told reporters after the meeting.

Mr. Bhokin said Mr. Masakree had told him that he had faith in Prime Minister Thaksin Shinwatra's handling of the violence in the Muslim-majority

region.

Mr. Masakree also said he had been moved by the government's bird-drop operation late last year, in which millions of paper cranes were dropped from

military aircraft over the country's three southern border province of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani.

"Mr. Masakree has just learned that the Office of the Attorney General has decided not to pursue the case against him. He has just heard this good news because he has lived overseas," the interior minister said.

Mr. Masakree said that he had been living in Malaysia for the past year since the Thai authorities began accusing him of being involved in insurgent activities.

He was brought to Bangkok by Siwa Sangmanee, the Deputy Director of the Southern Border Provinces Peace-Building Command.

"At first I thought of returning to Thailand for a legal battle because I am innocent. But that's not necessary now. I'd like to thank the prime minister and the interior minister once again," said Mr. Masakree.

--TNA 2005-02-26